The Dragon Lord
by Azaelynn
Summary: A Prophecy is told, changing fate for several people. Harry is destined to restore the balance between Light and Dark, and he gains an unexpected ally.. but nothing is ever easy... HPTR, SSDM, SLASH. DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ! READ BIO FOR UPDATE INFO!
1. Prophecy

**THE DRAGON LORD **

**LADY SHINIGAMI **

**DISCLAIMER: DUH!**

PART 1: THE PROPHECY

"The new Dragon Lord comes,  
One to destroy the Darkness,  
And restore the balance.  
Blood of the Black Dragon,  
Son of the Stag,  
Mind of the Serpent,  
Heart of the Lion, Soul of Power,  
And Marked by Death.  
Battles in the future wait, For the Lord to come,  
Lord of Fire and Air,  
To Banish the Dark that Seeks to control and destroy.  
The Lord will dance with Death And he will fly with Hope.  
Wait for his coming,  
The time has come,  
Beware, Lord of Darkness,  
The Dragon Lord comes, Marked as an equal, to his lover."

As he stopped speaking, the tall wizard fell to his knees, black eyes unfocused. Strands of emerald green magic swirled and circled him, playing with his hair and robes, leaving strange, markings on his pale skin where the magic touched. Only a few of those who watched recognized the aura of Power and Sight that glowed around the wizard.

Then the magic was gone and he collapsed. "Professor Snape!" Only three seventh year students rushed to the fallen professor's side.

"He needs medical attention," Harry Potter said, examining the Potions Master as best he could, kneeling at the man's side. Hermione fidgeted nervously from behind Harry, at a loss at what to do. Draco Malfoy held the older wizard's hand; worry humanizing his normally icy features.

"Severus, please, wake up." The blond whispered desperately, drawing Harry's attention to him.

"Malfoy... Draco, we need to get him to the Hospital wing. The Headmaster needs to be told. The side effects of such a prophecy can be varied and I fear that he may not wake up if we don't do something very soon. Help me." His rival glanced at him, tightening his grip on Snape's hand.

"Prophecy? What exactly do you know, Potter?"

"Enough to know that you must do everything I say to ensure Professor Snape's well being. Can you trust in my experience?" Malfoy hesitated for just a second before nodding.

Harry turned to Hermione. "Herm, go tell the Headmaster what's happened. The password is Oreos. We will be in the Hospital Wing. Gryffindors, go back to the common room."

"Slytherins, back to the dungeons. Now!" Draco said sharply. The other students scattered, only a few remaining behind long enough to clean up the dungeon room. Only Ron stayed behind. He was angry with Harry.

"Harry, what the hell are you doing, mate? Why the fuck would you ever help Snape! He hates you and you hate him." The redhead nearly shouted, but Harry ignored his tone.

"Ron, I don't care who he is, the man has suffered from a vision! I am the only one who can help him, and think of everything he's done for us! He saved my bloody life more than once, so I will do the same. And no, I don't hate him, and please, go back to the common room." Ron just looked at him, disgusted, turning sharply on his heel as he stormed from the room.

Harry turned back to Draco. "Come on, help me get him up; using magic will only aggravate his condition." He took one of Snape's arms, put it around his shoulders and lifted the unconscious man from the floor. Draco took Snape's other arm, and together, they hauled the Potions Master up to the hospital wing, meeting an anxious Madame Pompfrey. Despite her concerns, she allowed Harry to do what was necessary, as he was more experienced in the matters of Sight-induced maladies.

Draco stood back as Harry placed Snape on one of the hospital beds, examining the Potions Master's vital signs, assessing the situation. He remembered when, last year, a Seer, and a powerful one at that, had been visiting the school and Dumbledore, and had collapsed in the Great Hall after a glimpse of Potter. The Gryffindor had rushed to the Seer's side, just as she had woken up. That day, her whispered words had echoed through the Hall. "Dragonborn, you have a difficult trial in the near future. The time has almost come. You have such a beautiful aura..." After, she had fainted. When McGonagall had tried to levitate the Seer to the hospital wing, despite Potter's protests, the magic had sent the Seer into a coma. She hadn't woken up for nearly a month. Potter had taken care of her, without the use of magic.

Finished, Harry sighed, a small smile of relief softening his warm features. He glanced at Draco, beckoning him closer. "He'll be alright, for now. He should wake up in a few hours."

"Thank you, Harry. Good afternoon, Mr. Malfoy." Dumbledore stood in the doorway of the infirmary, looking solemn, the usual, damnable twinkle gone from his blue eyes.

"Harry, what did the prophecy say?"

Harry stood from his seat at Snape's side. "The sum of Professor Snape's spoken prophecy tells of the coming of the Dragon Lord, the only one who can restore the balance. Describes him, too. I'm sure Hermione can provide you with a copy of the prophecy. I need to look after the Professor. Sir." Harry turned his back on the Headmaster, clearly indicating that the conversation was over. The headmaster nodded.

"Very well." Then, the old wizard was gone.

Draco had watched the exchange with a slight wariness. "What was that about?"

"I don't trust him. I haven't since my godfather died. That man just keeps too much information from me. Draco, you know Snape better than anyone else here; has this ever happened before?" He was asking about the vision and the prophecy.

The blond shook his head. "No. He's never had the slightest inclination in Divination. I don't know what could have happened."

Harry sat down heavily in a chair. "Well, it was definitely a genuine prophecy, but just who was it speaking of? Who is this Dragon Lord and is he supposed to destroy Voldemort?"

"Maybe." Draco shrugged, but Harry ran a hand through his hair, confusion glittering in his eyes.

"If it's that way, then I'm doomed to die by Voldemort's hand before the war is over." He glanced at Draco, seeing the unspoken question. "It's part of a prophecy told just before I was born, concerning me and Voldemort. It's kill or be killed, basically. But if this Dragon Lord is supposed to destroy Moldie-Voldie, then that means I'll die before the year is out. Great." Draco said nothing as Harry brooded in silence. After a moment, the Gryffindor's face lit up as a thought struck him. "Unless..."

"Unless there are two prophecies about you. The gods must really love you, Potter."

"Thanks, Draco. Really." Harry turned in his seat and watched as Snape slept, a thoughtful expression on his face. "He better wake up soon."

Draco was mystified. "Why do you even care?"

"I respect our esteemed Potions Master. He's saved my life on numerous occasions, and I think he is the only person who doesn't treat me like I'm a hero. He's honest with me, and that's all I want from anyone."

Draco nodded and they lapsed into silence. Harry started to doze off, his head falling forward a little and his eyes drooping shut. With a sigh, Draco pulled a chair to Snape's bedside, taking the professor's hand in his own and with a foul mood brewing; he waited for his lover to wake up.

* * *

A small, nearly imperceptible moan woke Harry a few hours later. Looking around, he found Draco fast asleep, clutching Snape's hand. The moan had come from the Potions Master. He shook the blond Slytherin awake.

"I think he's waking up." He said before the blond could ask, before he turned his attention to Snape. The man's eyes were starting to flicker open.

"Professor? Professor Snape, wake up. Can you remember anything? Tell me anything."

"Where am I? What..." Snape focused slowly on Draco, and to Harry's surprise, he smiled at the other Slytherin.

"Draco..." he said quietly before he noticed Harry sitting beside his blond Slytherin. His black eyes went ice cold and his features, momentarily softened, turned to stone. "Potter."

Harry nodded. "Professor, you suffered from a vision this morning, and there was a Prophecy involved. Do you remember?"

Snape stared at him in confusion for a moment before he recalled the events of the morning. "I remember, all but the Prophecy itself. What did I say?"

And so Draco quoted the Prophecy word for word. "Do you know what it means, sir?" he asked when finished. "The balance being restored and of a great battle as well. You don't remember anything about it, or what it means?"

The Potions Master shook his head. "No. Why are you here?"

"Because we are," Harry said with a small smirk. "Draco helped me to bring you here. Professor, I would advise that you take it easy for a few days; prophecies drain a wizard's lifeforce, and you also suffered from a vision. I need to ask; what did you see in the Vision, sir?"

"I won't discuss my Vision with you, Potter."

"Well, get this through your thick head; I want to save my own skin, and I can't do that unless I know what you saw. Your prophecy said the Dragon Lord will battle with the Lord of Darkness, three guesses who that could be, and the first two don't count, meaning that I will die very soon. Most likely before I have a chance to graduate. I would prefer to do that before I die, but no, I'm too bloody selfish for thinking it! Either way, I will find a way to prevent my death, because I cannot be this Dragon Lord, and Voldemort is my enemy. Tell me what you saw, Professor. I want to live long enough to see Voldemort destroyed, and I can't do that if you don't tell me." Harry's emerald green eyes flashed with anger, a fury that made Snape want to flinch away.

"Please, Severus, just tell him what you saw. I trust him enough to know what he's doing." Draco said, surprising both Harry and Snape. After a moment, the Head of Slytherin nodded.

"Fine. I've spent nearly seven years protecting your life, and I won't have those years wasted. I'll tell you about my vision," Snape said, leaning back against the pillows. "It was distorted, only flashes of events. Fire was everywhere and great black dragons flew across a burning sky. Ruins, the dead were everywhere, and all around, there was fighting. I saw a measuring scale, unbalanced, and in a huge battlefield, a war was being waged, with two giant pillars rising from the battle itself, one pillar shining brilliantly with the light of the sun, but the other swallows, devours the light. A crimson-crested black Basilisk joins with the pillar of light, as does a silver dragon, no more than a hatchling," Snap's eyes started to glaze over as he remembered his vision. Harry glanced around, subtly casting a silencing charm around the bed, and another spell to warn him if anyone approached. Snape continued. "There was a boy, young and small, with crimson eyes and a scar. Two wizards stand behind the boy, both tall with black hair. They could be twins, but are not. The only thing I saw of them were their eyes; one pair crimson red, the other emerald green. Dragons flew around them, screaming with joy. Then the Darkness came an I know no more." The Potions Master sighed, exhausted.

"I don't know what it means. My prophecy, what exactly did I say?" Snape looked from Draco to Harry.

And so Harry told him. The older wizard stopped him halfway through, a thoughtful expression crossing his features as he pondered over the words of his prophecy.

"Blood of the Dragon, Son of the Stag... these words describes the Dragon Lord, right? Who could it be?" Snape wondered, his mind going a hundred miles per second.

"Professor, we can solve the riddles of your prophecy later; right now you need to rest," Harry said. "And professor, please don't tell Dumbledore about your vision. The Dragon Lord shouldn't be his weapon, like I am." Harry stood and left the Infirmary, leaving the two Slytherins alone.

As the door closed shut, Draco gathered his lover in his arms, his embrace fierce. He showered light kisses all over the Potions Master's face.

"Oh, Severus, I was so worried! Please, don't ever do that to me again!"

Snape smiled. "It's not like I could help it, love. Power chooses it's tool, and I have been made into such a tool. Draco, love, there is something that I didn't tell Potter." His smile faded and the blond became apprehensive.

"What is it?"

"I saw two wizards in the pillar of light, and again behind the little boy. I got the feeling that these two were lovers. You mustn't breathe a word of this to anyone, especially Potter." The Potions Master leaned in close and whispered in Draco's ear. The blond stared at Snape with wide eyes, his mouth agape.

"You're serious, right?" Snape just nodded.

"What are we going to do?"

"For now, nothing. This must stay between us until I can figure everything out."

Draco nodded. "Ok, but if what you saw is true, then who is the Lord of Darkness?"

"I don't know, Draco. This makes my task that much more difficult, but I think our main goal should be identifying the Dragon Lord, but not here," he smiled a little at his young lover. "Would you care to join me in my chambers? I could use a little help on the way down, still being pretty weak and all that rot." He gave Draco a gentle smile, which his younger lover returned.

"I was thinking along the same lines, my dear professor." Draco said smugly, helping Snape to his feet. After a few minutes, they were gone from the hospital wing.

* * *

That night, Harry lay in bed well past midnight, unable to sleep. The tale of Snape and his prophecy had spread throughout the school at an alarming rate, and Ron had been furious that Harry had helped the older wizard. When Harry returned to Gryffindor Tower earlier in the evening, the redhead had yelled and raged, howled and rampaged, and had even accused Harry of conspiring with the Slytherins. About what, Harry couldn't even begin to guess, but Hermione had jumped to his defense, to his relief.  
He couldn't get his mind off the prophecy. Curiosity ate at him, giving him no peace. Just who was this Dragon Lord? He thought back to what Draco had that morning, in jest, about there being two prophecies about him. In Harry's mind, it was impossible. If two prophecies spoke of him, they contradicted one another. One prophecy said that he would kill the Dark Lord or be killed, and the other said the Dragon Lord would destroy the Lord of Darkness, restoring the balance, and Harry had the distinct feeling that Voldemort wasn't the Lord of Darkness told of in Snape's prophecy.

With a sigh, Harry closed his eyes for a moment. Opening them, he found that his surroundings had changed. Harry groaned in dismay.

"Oh, fuck. What now?" Standing up, Harry walked through a corridor, following his instincts. He knew he was in Riddle Manor by means of a vision, or a dream, and it felt as though Voldemort was waiting for him. He sensed no malevolence from the Dark Lord, and he knew he could leave the dream if Voldemort meant to harm him.  
Pushing open the doors leading into the library, Harry realized that Voldemort was, indeed, waiting for him. Sitting in an armchair beside a blazing fir was Voldemort, watching him with those enchanting crimson eyes. His appearance had changed since Harry's fifth year; no longer was Voldemort ghostly pale and scaly. Thick black hair now covered his once-bald head, slightly messy, and the Dark Lord actually looked human, and devastatingly handsome as well.

For a moment, Harry was taken aback by Voldemort's beauty, but he smothered that thought in an instant.

"Harry Potter," even his voice had changed. "Welcome to my dream."

"What do you want, Voldemort?"

"Straight to the point, I see. Very well. This morning, I felt some very strange magic through Severus's Dark Mark. The thing is, I, myself, have felt this strange magic, not twenty minutes ago. Did my once-faithful Deatheater suffer from a vision today?" The Dark Lord asked, string at Harry with eyes that shone with power.

"Why should I say one word to you, Voldemort? Why the hell are you asking me of all people?"

"Come and sit down, Potter, and I will tell you. I won't bite." Voldemort indicated the armchair across from him. Harry hesitated for only a moment, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Good. I had a vision earlier, Potter. One that makes our Prophecy all but useless, and an impossibility. In my vision, fire was everywhere; there was no escaping it. In the burning sky above, black dragons fought with immense shadow spawn. All was in ruins, and everywhere you looked, battles were being fought by wizard and creature alike. A set of scales was unbalanced and on a battlefield, two pillars stood. One shone with the intensity of the sun's light, but the other swallowed the light, destroying it. A basilisk with a crimson crest fought for the pillar of light. Two wizards stand side by side with clasped hands, their features mostly undistinguishable, with only their eyes visible through the shadows..."

"Crimson red and emerald green." Harry finished. Voldemort raised a slender black eyebrow, nodding. "Snape didn't have just a vision, he also told a prophecy. His vision was almost identical to your own." Harry then told Voldemort the prophecy, not really knowing why, but he felt that he could trust Voldemort with this.

As he finished, Voldemort rose from his chair. He closed the distance between them before Harry could do anything. Kneeling in front of Harry, he gently caressed the raven-haired teen's face, causing him to stiffen slightly.

"You know that there is a truth that you don't wish to face, but you cannot afford that luxury. I am not this Lord of Darkness, but you are the Dragon Lord. The only reason I ever feared the Potter line was because of the Dragon blood that flows through your veins. Thousands of years ago, a highly skilled metamorphmagus mated with the last great black dragon, and she forever altered her line with the dragon's blood that now thrived in her children; your ancestors. Son of the Stag; I seem to recall that your father was an illegal Animagus, and that his creature was a stag. And only with the mind of a Slytherin, a serpent, and the heart of a Gryffindor, a lion, were you able to defeat me so many times. By giving you this scar," He lightly traced the scar on Harry's forehead. "I have marked you with Death. You are the Dragon Lord from Severus's prophecy." Voldemort pulled back slightly, his crimson eyes gleaming with an emotion Harry couldn't identify.

"Why are you telling me this?" Harry asked softly.

"Because my place is at your side. The basilisk in my vision was me in my Animagus form. We are no longer enemies, Potter. Yes, I have made a great deal of mistakes in my past, but when I started my campaign, the Dark was dying, and the balance was unsettled, leaving no room for peace. But I became corrupted by my power, and I lost sight of my goal, and I began to relish in the pain and the killing that I was causing. Now I know my mistakes and failures, because of you, and I am willing to atone for them in any way that I can, if you'll let me."

Looking deep into Voldemort's eyes, gazing into the crimson depths, Harry felt like he was staring into the Dark Lord's very soul. He searched his enemy for any sign of deception, but found none.

"If you're playing me for a fool, then I will kill you. If you are truly sincere, as you seem to be, then do what you will." Harry said, his voice low with threat. Voldemort nodded.

"Then I thank you, Potter. Now, before I let you go from my dream, I have something for you." Before Harry could say or do anything, Voldemort leaned in suddenly and placed a soft, chaste kiss on Harry's lips, slipping something's in his hand as he did so.

Harry sat up in bed, his breathing hard, and his heart racing. The vision was over. With a sigh, he looked at the clock that stood on his bedside table and groaned. The clock read 5:23 am.

"Oh shit." He remembered the dream, and Voldemort's kiss. "Oh, god no! What just happened?" Knowing he wouldn't get any more sleep, Harry got out of bed, heading for the showers. Once he was standing beneath the hot water, he closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind.

"Shit. I'm doomed." After he had finished with his shower, and had gotten dressed, he returned to his bed, to get his wand. Harry noticed something in his sheets, glowing, and picking it up, Harry realized it was a large silver ring, forged in the shape of two dragons. One had tiny rubies for eyes, and the other had emeralds. It was very old.

"So this is what he gave me," He said softly. Acting on impulse, Harry found a silver chain, and looping it through the ring, he clasped it around his neck. Grabbing his book bag, he left his roommates to sleep peacefully.

No one found him until the first class, Potions, started. Hermione was surprised to see him in his customary seat when she walked in. she came over to him.

"Harry, are you alright? Neville said you'd already gone this morning." She said, putting her books down on the desk behind him.

"Yeah, I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night, that's all."

She got that worried look. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"No."

"A vision, then?"

"Sort of. It was... really strange."

She paused. "Harry, where did you get that ring? It's beautiful." Harry fingered it, lingering on Voldemort's kiss from the night before. "It came from the vision, but don't worry, Hermione, I know what I'm doing. You should probably go sit down before Snape gets pissed off." Hermione nodded, still worried about him, but she relented. Snape stormed into the classroom seconds after she sat down.

"I will be pairing you off for today's potion. Yu know who your partner is, so get to it. The potion you'll be brewing today is called the Draconis Draught, and when used in war, the Draconis Draught temporarily transforms its drinker into vicious dragons. Today, however, with a small harmless ingredient change, you lot will only transform into miniature version of your inner dragon. Get to work. Page 214 of your texts." He sat down at his desk and began grading a pile of essays with his famous red ink.

Draco came over and settled into the seat beside Harry. They had been partners for two years now. As they started on the potion, they worked in silence, until Draco noticed the ring from where it hung from around Harry's neck.

"Nice ring, Potter. Where'd it come from?"

Harry smirked as he continued to chop up the boomslang skin. "Think of the one wizard who normally wants my head on a silver platter," he said in a low tone so that only Draco could hear him. "He gave it to me last night in a dream. Said some weird shit too, but not once do he try to hurt me."

Draco paused. "Does this have anything to do with yesterday?" he asked, his tone a little nervous and Harry nodded. "Tell Snape then. Its his prophecy, so he should know about it."

"I'll think about it."

They finished the potion in silence and as the rest of the class finished up, Snape stood from his desk to prowl amidst the steaming cauldrons. Two he dismissed completely as failures, and three others he deemed as nearly correct, before approaching Harry's simmering cauldron.

"This is excellent work for once, Mr. Potter. Well done, Draco. You two will test your potion, and now." He said gruffly. It was obvious that he wasn't in the best of moods. With a glance at one another, Harry and Draco filled a beaker each, and as one, downed their Draconis potion.

Instantly, Draco was a miniature silver dragon, flying serenely around the dungeon. Harry, however, didn't change. Much. His emerald eyes became serpentine, and black dragon wings ripped through his clothes and flesh painfully, bringing him to his knees. Scales hardened from his skin, curving the outside of his eyes, forming something akin to a strange crown. Unnoticed, the jewels in his ring glowed fiercely.

Changed, Harry stood, panting for breath. Snape stood nearby, staring at him, as were the rest of the students. The tiny silver dragon that was Draco flew over to perch on Harry's shoulder, gripping the front of Harry's robes with his tiny silver claws.

"Potter, what just happened?"

"I don't know, sir, but I do know someone who might. I'd like to speak with you, sir. Immediately." Harry said, and nodding, Snape ordered the other students to pack up and leave. The moment the other students were gone, the Potions Master locked the door and cast a Silencing spell over the room with a wave of his wand.

Turning back to Harry, he gave a weary sigh. "Why can't I have one normal year where nothing strange happens, Potter? And it always has something to do with you. Now, what did you want to speak to me about"

And so, Harry told the Potions Master everything about his vision from the night before... well, almost everything. He didn't mention the kiss. He didn't dare mention the kiss. At Snape's request, he removed the ring from where it hung around his neck and handed it to the professor.

"The Dark Lord gave this to you and told you that you are the Dragon Lord from my Prophecy? He, too, had a vision?" he asked.

"Almost identical to your own, sir." Harry said.

"Well, then I would have to say that the Dark Lord is, indeed, correct. Only dragon blood could have affected the Draconis Potion in this manner. You are the Dragon Lord."

The silver dragon that was Draco leapt from Harry's shoulder, and a moment later, he was human again. Catching sight of Harry, wings and all, the Slytherin stared.

"Professor, I assume that we've just found the Dragon Lord. What the fuck do we do now?"


	2. Dream

**THE DRAGON LORD **

**LADY SHINIGAMI **

**DISCLAIMER: DUH.**

PART 2: DREAM

Two months had passed since the telling of Snape's Prophecy and Harry's transformation. Unfortunately, his dragon blood only made the potion very permanent. In fact, more changes occurred. Demonic horns poked through his hair, right above his lengthened ears, hid hands sharpened into claws, and from the base of his skull, a long tail of bone, resembling a spinal column grew and now trailed behind him. He looked very much like a demon, scaring the younger children.

News of Harry's transformation and of Snape's prophecy had long reached the Daily Prophet, sending most of the wizarding world into a mild panic. The Ministry had, on numerous occasions, threatened to hunt Harry like an animal if any harm came to the community, and both he and Snape received dozens of Howlers on a daily basis.  
The school treated Harry like the plague. Again. He had been kicked off the Quidditch team the day after his transformation, replacing him with Ginny, who had taken the position reluctantly. The only solace he received came from Hermione, Ginny, and Neville, of the Gryffindors, and on the Slytherin side, Snape, Draco, Blaise, and Lucas Nott offered their friendship. And, of course, there was Voldemort.

The Dark Lord was the most puzzling. Often, Harry would spend the night in his dreams, listening as the older wizard talked with near abandon. Things had changed between them, but Harry wasn't sure what. After a while, it almost seemed as though Voldemort wanted to spend time with him, and he seemed... happier when Harry visited him. Not once did his scar even twitch.

It was a week before Christmas break started when Harry succumbed to a dream, slowly wandering the halls of Riddle Manor, heading for the library, as per usual. Opening the double doors, he was surprised to find Voldemort missing from his customary place. Instead, across the room, a pair of French doors stood open, leading out to a small balcony.

"I'm out here, Potter."

Harry joined Voldemort out on the balcony, taking a perch on the stone railing, using his wings to balance. Voldemort stood beside him, slender hands on the old stone.

"Christmas break should be soon. Have any plans?"

Harry shook his head, staring out at the bright stars above. "Not really. Not that I care much about Christmas. The holiday's depressing, really."

Voldemort looked him, head cocked slightly. "Oh? Why is that?"

The raven-haired teen shrugged. "Christmas is a time when one spends time with his family. I don't have a family." Voldemort looked away.

"Yes, that would be my fault."

"Why did you ask?"

"If I gave you an early Christmas gift, would you consider coming here? We're both orphans, so why not?" he said, and Harry grinned at him.

"That would depend on the gift."

"Very well then." Voldemort turned to stare out at the night sky. "Do you know why I gave you that ring?"

Harry shook his head, his hand closing around the ring that hung from around his neck.

"You will. Soon. It represents something that I am wishing... no, hoping for." A small smile graced the Dark Lord's features.

"You know, it's still kind of strange; we've been enemies my entire life. What happened?" Harry asked, changing the subject.

"One prophecy has destroyed a weaker prophecy. Power has chosen a different fate for us. That's all. You should probably go now; morning's not that far off." Voldemort said, turning around to lean against the railing.

Harry chuckled. "Yeah, maybe."

"Goodnight, Harry".

Harry sat up in bed, surprised. Had Voldemort just called him by his given name? Confused, Harry headed for the showers, knowing it would ease his growing headache. Thank Merlin it was a Saturday!

Leaving the common room completely, he went down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Ignoring the stares he got from the rest of the school, Harry took a seat beside Ginny.

"Morning, Harry! Sleep well?"

He shrugged. "Well enough. Have you seen Hermione, Gin?"

"Yeah. She's in the library, researching something. You know, she needs a life, big time!" Ginny snickered.

Harry laughed with her. "Yeah, maybe. Have you heard from Charlie yet?" He asked, thinking that the second Weasley son would be able to help him understand more about dragons, and maybe about how they fought. Ginny shook her head, frowning.

"No, but I expect he's really busy right now. It is dragon-mating season. I'll let you know as soon as I hear from him."

"Thanks, Gin." He said, grinning.

"Hey! My Lord Dragon!" With a groan, Harry turned as Draco and Blaise made their way over to Gryffindor table. With a quick goodbye to Ginny, Harry rose from his seat to meet the Slytherins half way. Draco was grinning like a fool, while Blaise remained a quiet presence. Harry had grown close to the Slytherin boys since his transformation.

"Draco, how many times have I told you not to call me that?"

"Not enough?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Anyway, what did you want?"

"Well, Draco wants to annoy you, and me, I thought we could go flying, enjoy the fresh snow outside. What do you say, Potter?" Blaise said quietly, drawing a glare from the blond, and Harry grinned.

"Sure, why not? Let's go."

Harry was waiting for the two Slytherins above the Quidditch pitch, waiting as they scrambled for their brooms. Soon, the three of them were flying through the cold air enthusiastically, racing one another, both Slytherins trying desperately to beat Harry's speed.

Then a snowball fight erupted, with Draco and Blaise, joined by Ginny, Neville and Lucas, throwing enchanted snowballs at Harry as he flew away with ease, laughing.  
After a fruitless hour of trying to hit Harry, his friends gave up, choosing instead to throw snowballs at each other, ignoring Harry completely.

"Hey! You can't ignore me like that! You're just jealous that I'm so bloody fast! Hey, don't ignore me!" Harry dive-bombed the group with snowballs of his own, pelting them continuously until all of them were soaked. Which was something that Draco wasn't too pleased about.

"Potter! I'm sending you the bill for my dry cleaning! You completely ruined my good clothes!" Draco started chasing Harry through the snow as the Gryffindor teased the blond. The others started laughing, falling to their knees or into the snow.

"Oh, princess! Are you a wizard or not? Use magic"!

"Potter!"

"What ever happened to calling me 'Lord Dragon'? You certainly are a moody git, aren't you, Malfoy?"

"Potter!"

* * *

Exhausted, cold and wet, Harry led his friends back into the Great Hall, grinning like fools. The four tables were mostly full as the students ate lunch, did homework, or just talked. While Draco led Blaise and Lucas over to their own table, and Ginny and Neville went to change their clothes, Harry joined Hermione at the end of the table, shoving a tiny bit of snow down the back of her robes, laughing as she emitted a squeal of surprise.

"Harry! What was that for?"

"It was just a bit of fun, Hermione! You know, you spend way too much time in the library; you should live a little."

She sniffed, displeased with the concept. "I'm perfectly fine, Harry. Anyway, you should eat; I know you haven't been eating properly. Don't make me play mother hen with you!"

Harry laughed. "Nah, that's Draco's job. But yeah, sure, I'll eat." He pulled a tray of sandwiches towards him, and filled a goblet with pumpkin juice. "So what are you researching that was so important that you had to research it on a Saturday morning?"

"Well, actually, I was trying to find some kind of reference to any other possible Dragon Lords from in the past."

"Why?"

"Harry, you are not the first Dragon Lord in existence. I refuse to believe that. There must have been others, so I thought it useful to see if I could find anything about them. What did they save the world from? How did they do it? That kind of stuff." She said, and Harry understood where she was coming from, so he smiled.

"Thanks, 'Mione."

She opened her mouth to say something, but then the doors to the Entrance Hall burst open. Standing in the open doorway was Voldemort, a coffin floating behind him. His sudden appearance had silenced the students out of fear.

Instantly, the professors were on their feet, wands at the ready, pointed at the Dark Lord. Harry got to his feet, stepping in between the professors and Voldemort.

"What is your purpose here, Voldemort?"

The Dark Lord smiled. "All I want if five minutes of your time, Potter."

"Then you have five minutes."

"Do you remember what I asked of you last night? Well, I have something for you," With a flick of his wand, he maneuvered the coffin around and set it down in front of Harry.  
Slowly, Harry knelt down and he lifted the lid of the coffin. Astonished, he stared at his one-time enemy.

"This is... for real?"

Voldemort nodded.

"Potter, what is it?" Snape was suddenly directly beside Harry, keeping a wary eye on the Dark Lord.

"Voldemort has just given me Peter Pettigrew and Bellatrix Lestrange, Sirius' murderers. Peter, no, Wormtail, framed Sirius Black for my parents' deaths, and Bellatrix killed him at the end of my fifth year." Harry said, his voice ringing through the silent Hall. Voldemort nodded.

"This is my gift to you, Lord of Black Dragons. My loyalty belongs to you. Do you have an answer to my request?"

Harry nodded. "Yes. You and I are no longer enemies, and for me to succeed, I will need a lot of help. You are one of my strongest allies, my confidant," he grinned suddenly. "I will take you up on your offer."

Snape tore his gaze from Voldemort, staring at Harry, incredulous. "What are you talking about, Potter?"

Not taking his eyes from Voldemort, Harry smiled. "You remember the black Basilisk with the crimson crest from your Vision, sir? Well, that Basilisk is standing right in front of you," his voice was low, and only Snape could hear him. "He has offered to take me in for the holidays." He looked at Snape, and the Potions Master recognized several emotions flickering in Harry's green eyes, emotions Harry probably wasn't even aware of. Snape nodded slowly.

"You must do what you think is right, regardless of anyone else," he said, reaching into his pocket. "But do me a favor and give me a fire call every now and then. There are those who care about you and your safety, so don't make us worry." He gave Harry a necklace with a silver snake pendant. "This pendant allows you to know where I am at all times, so that you can come to me should you ever need me. I give one to all my Slytherins. You should probably go now, and don't worry; I can deal with Dumbledore."

Harry smiled, grateful of the older wizard's help and support. "Thank you. This means a lot." He turned to Voldemort, as the Dark Lord waited patiently. "Let's go. I don't wanna wait for break to start. Thank you for the gift."

"I must thank you for this second chance."

"Harry, what are you doing?" Harry turned, finding all his friends standing behind him.

"I'm leaving at little early, that's all. I'll be fine." Suddenly, he grinned at Voldemort. "Hey, Voldie! Wanna fly?"

"Sure, why not?"

Draco laughed. "Oh, you have no idea what you just agreed to!"

Wings spread out, Harry circled the coffin, and wrapping his arms around Voldemort's waist, he flew from the castle and both wizards were gone from sight almost instantly.

"Severus, what just happened?"

"Quite frankly, Albus, that is not of your concern. Voldemort is no longer a threat, and it is obvious that he is not the Lord of Darkness that my prophecy spoke of. He is no longer a threat. This is not your war, Albus. Stop interfering."

Dumbledore was less than amused. "Then just whose war is it?"

"This war belongs to the Dragon Lord. Not you. You had your wars and it's time for you to back off!" Quickly, Severus ushered Harry's friends from the Great Hall, leading them to his private labs.

Once there, he focused on the teenagers. "Did any of you notice anything odd about the interaction between Harry and the Dark Lord? Anything at all?"

"They fancy each other. Harry just doesn't realize it yet. He's not very perceptive to how others view him, so he hasn't realized yet that he definitely has strong feelings for Voldemort. Voldemort's feelings for Harry are much more evident." Draco said, surprising Snape. Ginny agreed with the blond.

"Yeah, I noticed that, too. He looks different, but the Dark Lord does have intensely strong feelings for Harry. I get the feeling that they've been corresponding for some time now."

"They have been. Harry talks in his sleep, so they probably talk to one another in their dreams. Harry does deserve happiness, and love. What if V-Voldemort can give that to him?" Neville asked, surprising Snape with his insight.

"Then we should let Harry enjoy it," Blaise said, leaning against one of the desks. "It shouldn't matter who Harry loves, because he has done so much for our world, that we should give him almost anything in return for his sacrifices without consideration. It is our obligation to do so." Snape nodded, pleased with the Slytherin, and the others.

"You, Mr. Zambini, are wise beyond your years. Now, as Harry's companions and friends, we must think of ways to protect Harry and Voldemort should Dumbledore decide to antagonize Harry. We must be quick, and we must have a good defense for anything that Dumbledore might try, if and when he decides to act the hero again. He will act very quickly. Are we all in agreement?" The teens nodded, and only Neville appeared at a loss. Snape sighed; he was working with Longbottom!

"Let's get started!" Lucas said.

* * *

Slowly, Harry landed on the same balcony he had visited in Voldemort's dreams, releasing the Dark Lord gingerly. He stepped back, folding his wings closed, not meeting the other wizard's gaze.

"Thank you. For your gift."

Voldemort smiled. "No need to thank me. I'm just trying to atone for my past crimes. Now, come, let me show you around. We have the Manor to ourselves; there's no one else around."

"There's no one?" Harry smiled. "That's good. It'll be very quiet. Very peaceful. I think this will be a good Christmas for once."

Voldemort moved forward, gently caressing Harry's face, staring into his slitted emerald eyes. He leaned in and softly kissed Harry. Pulling away, he smiled tenderly at Harry's wide-eyed look of surprise. "Yes, this will definitely be a good and memorable Christmas." He led Harry into the Manor, and out of the cold and snow.

"I hope you don't mind, but I think your room will be next to mine," Voldemort said, opening a door at the end of the corridor leading away from the library, away from the stairs leading to the second and first floors. "I don't think we should be too far away from one another, as we are the only wizards in the Manor. I have two house elves to keep charge of the house, but they prefer to live in the cellars. Since we left the castle so abruptly, I will lend to you everything you need until you retrieve your things."

Harry wandered around the bedchamber, awed by the exquisite craftsmanship of the antique furniture, and he felt nearly overwhelmed at the size of the large four-poster Victorian bed.

"By the way, what did Severus give you?"

"Oh, just a pendant that allows me to know exactly where he is at all times inside the castle, so that if I ever need him, for anything, I can find him. He is worried about me, I think. It's a nice feeling, though." Harry said with a smile.

Voldemort shrugged. "So long as you are happy, then. You are free to wander as you wish, but please, don't leave the grounds. Is there anything that you wish to do"

"You are my ally, my friend, and my confidant. I am pleased to remain in your company, Voldemort."

"Please, call me Tom. I am no longer the Flight of Death, as that is what Voldemort means. I will always be a Dark Lord, because I am more than comfortable to use my Dark magic. I have become Tom Riddle once again."

Harry smiled. "Good. Tom suits you better, and I like it. Let's go back to the library, and just talk." Together, they spent the rest of that day and all night, talking of everything and nothing. At one point, a small house elf brought them dinner, but neither wizard noticed much outside of their conversation.

Then, in the early morning hours, Harry yawned. Tom frowned.

"Are you tired?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, just a little. It's no big deal, though."

"You should go to bed, Harry. It is very early in the morning, and you're tired. It's not healthy." Tom said, rising to his feet and holding a helping hand out to Harry.

The draconian teen rolled his eyes. "Yes, mother," he said with a grin. "Fine, I'll go to bed." He allowed Tom to help him to his feet. Back in his room, and acting on impulse, he pulled Tom into his embrace, his spinal bone tail encircling the older wizard. He buried his face into Tom's chest. Startled, Tom hesitantly wrapped his arms around Harry's shoulders, greatly confused.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just... stay here a while." Tom nodded, and soon only the soft sounds of Harry's breathing, and the feel of the teen in his arms registered in his mind.

Soon, Harry fell asleep in his arms, his tail loosening and falling back to rest against the boy's spine. Tom caught him before he could fall and carried him to the four-poster canopy bed. With gentle care, he tucked Harry beneath the quilt and gently brushed the messy black hair away from his closed eyes.

Slowly, he took in all the physical changes the teen had endured. He was impressed and astonished with how Harry had dealt with all the hardships in his young life. Becoming the Dragon Lord was the third time Harry's life had been turned upside down, but the teen had dealt with everything with infinite wisdom, hope, and compassion.

It was of little wonder that Tom was falling.

Tom smiled softly. "Sleep well, my Lord. My love."

A flick of his wand extinguished the candles in the room, and he was gone.

* * *

Opening his eyes, Harry saw sunlight dancing through the windows. He sat up, and wondered when he had gone to bed. Then he remembered, he remembered embracing Tom. Why the hell had he done that?

Going over to the cold fireplace, he lit it, and with a bit of Floo powder from the mantle, he called, "Severus Snape's private office."

* * *

Snape looked up from his desk in his office, as Harry poked his head through the fire. The boy grinned, looking like a fool and an idiot as his head, ears and horns floated in the green flames.

"Good morning, professor!"

"Good morning, Harry. What brings you to my fire?"

"Well, I was wondering if you could arrange to get my things together, so I can pick them up or something," he said. "And, uh, I have something I think I should tell you about."

Snape raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Oh?"

"Yeah," Harry seemed confused, unsure of himself. "Um, last night, as I was going to bed, I hugged Tom. No reason; I just wrapped my arms and my tail around him and just held him. I it was... nice, though. I felt safe, warm, and content. I have no idea what it meant, though, why I did what I did." Snape was grinning inwardly, but he kept his features controlled. "I'll be blunt; you fancy him. It has been clearly evident to those who know you that you have developed incredibly strong feelings for him. So, it's 'Tom' now, hmm, and not 'Voldemort'?" he smirked at Harry's slight blush. "But as to your feelings, you just haven't realized it for yourself yet."

Harry was shocked; Severus could see that clearly in the teen's face. "You're kidding, right?"

Severus shook his head. "No, and I have an ultimatum. You will tell the Dark Lord how you feel about him, or I will send Miss Weasley over there to do it for you."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"I would dare, and you know it, Potter."

Harry gaped at him, speechless. "Um, uh, wha... just give me a few days then! I, I need to think."

Severus smirked. "I cannot give you any promises. Thank you for the fire call."

Harry pouted. "Fine, but I will get you back. You can be sure of that, you greasy git!" Then he was gone from the fireplace. Severus chuckled at the Gryffindor's last words. It had sort of become a small joke between them. That boy would never change.

* * *

With a grimace, Harry spelled the soot away and he stood from the fireplace, dusting himself off. Briefly, he wondered where his host had gone.

"Probably in the library," Harry grinned at the thought as he left his rather luxurious room, spelling away the wrinkles from his clothes, adding a cleaning charm for good measure.

"Oh, Tommy! Where are you?" he felt playful, despite the embarrassing conversation with the Potions Master, and this fairly dangerous route of making fun of Tom seemed like an excellent choice. He grinned, climbing up the walls and onto the ceiling as Tom predictably poked his head through the library doors, wand out and scowl plastered on his face.

"I know you're out here, Potter! No one calls me 'Tommy' without paying a very steep price!" he stepped out into the hallway, away from the safety of the door and Harry pounced. They toppled to the floor, Tom's cry of surprise turning into laughter as the older wizard realized what was happening. They wrestled on the floor together, laughing all the while until Tom pinned Harry beneath him, both of them breathless.

Harry was content; he had his fun. His emerald eyes were dancing, his cheeks slightly flushed, and his hair was a mess. He was perfectly at ease, despite the fact that Tom was straddling him, or that his wrists were securely captured in Tom's strong grip above his head. He grinned at the Dark Lord, staring up into clouded crimson eyes.

"That was naughty of you, Harry," Tom's voice was low, husky, sending shivers down Harry's spine.

"But it was fun. You enjoyed it too, don't deny it." He grinned, still a little breathless.  
Tom leaned down, his face a scant few inches away from Harry's. He brushed his lips against Harry's, hearing the boy's breathing hitch slightly. With a smile, he kissed Harry, running his tongue along pliant lips. He moved Harry's wrists, holding both in one hand, leaving the other free to gently caress the teen's face and neck, his long tapered fingers leaving trails of fire on Harry's skin, and sending shivers down his spine.

Tom moved on, latching onto Harry's neck with a vengeance, sucking gently on the smooth, flawless skin, listening as Harry gasped with pleasure.

Tom bit down with long canines, breaking the skin a little, but Harry didn't notice as a wave of power and pleasure washed over his. Tom felt the surge of power as he lapped up the single drop of blood from Harry's bitten and now bruised neck. He pulled away a little, flushed.

"Your magic is enjoying this, Harry. Your magic wants this. What about you? Do you have any objections to this?"

"... No."

Tom smiled. "Good, because I find myself falling for you, Harry. I need you to be with me."

"Stop talking and kiss me, Tom." The Dark Lord grinned and smothered Harry with a smoldering kiss, full of passion and desire.

Tom unbuttoned and opened Harry's shirt, his free hand trailing down the teen's well-defined chest. Idly, he traced the contours of the leathery skin of Harry's wings before moving down.

Harry moaned into Tom's mouth as he allowed Tom to do whatever he wished, reveling in the feel of Tom's hand as it traveled further down, sliding across his stomach. His breathing hitched, and he arched his back.

Tom broke the kiss and stared at him. Harry blinked, confused. Tom reached up and tweaked his nose, sitting up, and getting off of Harry.

Harry sat up quickly. "Why the hell did you stop?"

Tom quirked his eyebrow and smirked. "If I hadn't stopped, I might have gone all the way, and I don't think you're quite ready for that yet." Harry stared at him.

"All the way?"

Tom hung his head and sighed. "Guess you hadn't even thought of going all the way yet, huh? Merlin, you let me get away with way too much." He sighed and stood up. "Come on, let's go outside."

* * *

That night as Harry went to bed, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was in for a long night. He folded his clothes, setting them on top of his trunk, and he lit the fireplace and put out the candles before crawling into bed in nothing more than a pair of boxers. He curled up against his pillows and was asleep in moments.

Everything around him was burning and the skies above him were a rolling mass of black and red clouds, crimson lightning flashing down. People he knew and complete strangers were dead at his feet, blood forming small rivers that circled his claws.

Amidst the horror around him, Harry noticed briefly that he wore a long blood red trench coat, and his leather pants were covered in blood and gore. The sword in his hand was also slick with fresh-spilt blood.

A great thunderous roar caused him to look up. In the burning sky, a battled was being waged. A great black dragon, three times the size of a Hungarian Horntail, swirled and fought with an enormous shadow, and a small silver dragon fought its own battle as well, against a black phoenix. Directly beneath the aerial battles, a giant Basilisk with a crimson crest fought against a Pyromancer, the pyro's body aflame.

"Pitiful fool..."

Harry turned at the sound of a voice he knew all too well.

"You really think you can avert and win this battle? My rule will prevail, and you, Dragon Lord, will die," Harry stared as Dumbledore stepped forward. "You cannot defeat me, boy! I made you, and I can unmake you just as easily! I will win this war!"

Harry sneered at the ancient wizard. "So, you are the Lord of Darkness, my greatest enemy. Never would have figured, but I can see it. How does it feel, old man, to have your own puppet, your only weapon, turn against you? Are you truly so confident in your victory? This war is only just beginning."

"You won't win, Potter. You can't win!"

"And why is that?"

Without a word, Dumbledore stepped aside, and approaching him was a hooded figure, just a little taller than Harry. The figure reached up and lowered his hood.

Shocked, Harry stepped back. The wizard standing before him could have been his twin, if not for the hazel eyes. "But you're dead!"

"Not anymore, demon. Now you will pay for killing everyone I ever cared about and loved!" The wizard raised and pointed his wand at Harry.

Harry shook his head, tears welling in his eyes. "No! Don't do this! You don't know what mistake you're about to make! Please!"

"Avada Kedavra."

The killing curse hit him dead on and Harry woke up with a scream, sitting up and into Tom's arms. "Father!"

"Harry! It's just a dream! You're safe now, you're awake!" Tom said shakily as Harry sobbed into his shoulders.

"No, no it wasn't a dream... it was some kind of prediction! He killed him, thinking I was a demon."

"Who? Who killed you?"

"My father, James Potter."

A stunned silence fell between them as Tom held Harry to him, listening as the boy continued to sob. He absently noted that the younger wizard cried tears of blood.

"Tell me everything you saw, Harry. We will have to let Severus know," Tom said, tightening his grip on Harry. "But we'll discuss this tomorrow, in the morning. You need to rest." He pulled away, smiling as he wiped at Harry's face. "Let's get you cleaned up. The blood's everywhere. I'll send a house elf to clean up here."

Harry looked up, startled and still trembling. "Blood?"

"Well, since you haven't noticed, you cry tears of blood."

"What?" he looked away, ashamed. "I hate crying..."

Tom smiled. "Come on. You'll spend the night with me tonight." He got off the bed, crossed the room to open the wardrobe and offered Harry a floor-length black silk robe. With a slight blush, Harry accepted the robe, tying it around his waist with the emerald green sash. Absently, he noticed that Tom was only wearing a pair of black cotton slacks, and that the older wizard's chest was covered in blood; his tears.

"I'm sorry."

Tom waved the apology aside. "Don't be. It's not your fault, and I don't mind, really. Now, come on!" taking hold of Harry's hand, he pulled the teen from the room and into his own room. It was furnished exactly like Harry's room, just a little more lived in, and it had an adjoining bathroom. Motioning for Harry to sit on the edge of the large bathtub, Tom started filling the tub with hot water and bubble bath. Harry giggled.

"What? Can't I have bubble bath?" Tom asked, a little indignant.

"I never imagined that you would have bubble bath. It's kind of funny." Harry smiled.

"At least you're smiling. Now get in." Tom grinned, pointing to the tub, turning around as Harry blushed. Making sure that Tom wasn't going to peek, Harry quickly striped out of his boxers, folding them on the edge of the bathtub before taking off the black robe. Getting into the water, he squeaked when Tom turned around, a grin on his face.

"Tom!"

"Wow, Harry; you have such a white ass!"

"Not as white as yours, I'm sure!"

"Want to compare?"

"Tom!"

The Dark Lord laughed as he knelt on a towel in front of the tub, crimson eyes sparkling with mirth. "All right, I'll behave... for now." He grinned wickedly, reveling in the blush his words caused. Harry sank deeper into the water.

Chuckling, Tom grabbed a washcloth, lathered it up and moved towards Harry, but the draconian teen wasn't having it. He brought his wings around, glaring at his friend.

"Tom, I'm not a child. Please don't treat me like one."

"I only want you to relax, Harry. I would never treat you like a child. I haven't before, so why would I start now? Just relax and trust me." Slowly, Tom brought the washcloth to Harry's chest, gently scrubbing away at the dried blood. Harry looked away, blushing. Tom smiled.

"Close your eyes," he said, rinsing the cloth before bringing it to Harry's face. With gentle care, he wiped at the dried blood, slowly removing the brownish trails. Once the blood was gone, he wiped Harry's face clean, lightly tracing the tiny scales.

"There, now was that so difficult?"

Harry shrugged. Leaning forward, the Dark Lord just barely brushed his lips against the teen's lightning scar, giving him a feather-light kiss.

"You're beautiful, did you know that?" Harry blushed. "You are always welcome here, and I will support and help you in any way that I can. I will help with your vision. But, for the moment, just relax. We will deal with everything in the morning, after a much needed night's sleep. I'll be outside, waiting."

"But... but you're still covered in blood." Harry said, pointing to Tom's bare chest where Harry's bloody tears had dried and cracked. Tom just shrugged and he tossed Harry a towel.

"Then I'll take a quick shower when you're done in here. I'll go get your room cleaned up." The he was gone, leaving Harry alone.

With a sigh, Harry drained the tub and dried himself off. Covering himself up with his robe, Harry stepped into the bedroom, crossing over to the large wardrobe that undoubtedly contained Tom's clothes.

The man owned nothing but black! Rolling his eyes, Harry grabbed a pair of cotton slacks and a pair of clean boxers, getting dressed quickly. He glanced at the large four-poster canopy bed, exhaustion and a lack of sleep nearly overwhelming him. Covering a large yawn, he stumbled over to the bed, crawling beneath the duvet, snuggling into the pillows. He was asleep almost instantly, not aware when Tom (freshly showered) slipped into the bed, or when Tom wrapped him in his arms, spooning him. Nor did he hear the barely spoken words, "I love you, Harry. Sweet dreams."

* * *

For the next week, there was no mention of Harry's vision, aside from informing the Potions Master the next morning, and Harry focused on Christmas. He owled Draco and Ginny, asking them to get the gifts he wanted to get for his friends, as he really couldn't go out in public as he was. Harry preferred to keep the panic his appearance would cause down to a minimum.

Of course, both Draco and Ginny knew immediately that there was more beneath the surface of the odd relationship he shared with Tom, teasing him every chance they got top in their letters. Harry avoided answering every question they had, and told them in his answering letter that they better drop the subject. They did, reluctantly, and Ginny vowed to get all the juicy details from Harry when he got back.

Tom seemed to be in a really good mood, and he even went so far as to decorate the Manor all-festive like, with the idea of making up for all the Christmases that Harry missed in his childhood. However, he absolutely refused to allow Harry to set foot into the library, under the pretense that he was planning something special for the Dragon Lord, and that under no circumstance was Harry allowed to see before Christmas. Harry was now insanely curious, but he kept his distance.

Their relationship was... odd. Harry didn't know exactly what he wanted, and was just a little confused about Tom's desires, although he could guess. He knew for certain that the older wizard had incredibly strong feelings for him, but he didn't know what the Dark Lord wanted from him. Harry didn't want a relationship that would end; he wanted someone who could love him until the end of time. He didn't want to be abandoned for any reason.

Shrugging away all thoughts, Harry left the Manor altogether, flying to the snow-covered roof, choosing to sit on the edge like a gargoyle. He desperately needed to think.

* * *

As the day of Christmas Eve began to fade into evening, Tom wandered through the Manor, looking for Harry, but the teen was nowhere to be found. Frowning, he closed his eyes and cast around, concentrating for Harry's very unique magical signature. After a few minutes, he opened his eyes, puzzled. What the hell was Harry doing outside? And in this near-blizzard!

With a mock-agonized sigh, Tom pulled on his winter cloak and gloves, intent on climbing to where Harry was, as he didn't have a broom, and he hated flying. In the third floor study, he climbed out the window and onto a ledge leading to the roof. It didn't take him long to find the teen, despite the snow.

Tom crouched beside the raven-haired Dragon Lord, shivering a little from the cold.

"Harry, how long have you been out here? What have you been doing?"

Harry looked at Tom, completely fine even though his clothes were soaked. He wasn't even wearing all that much, just a pair of slacks and a thin vest.

"I've had a lot on my mind, so I came out here to think. I've only been out here for three days, maybe. Why? Were you worried about me?"

"Yes, I was worried. Come inside. Its Christmas Eve and I have something I want to show you." Tom said and with a nod, Harry flew them both to the library balcony.

"Close your eyes." Harry did as Tom asked, and the Dark Lord opened the doors, leading Harry inside.

"Alright, open."

Harry froze in surprise at the sight in front of him. A large Christmas tree stood by the fireplace, decorated with candles, faerie lights, and glistening snow. In a basket under the tree, asleep, lay a black Labrador puppy, a red and gold bow around its neck.

Harry looked at Tom. He nodded. "He's only four weeks old, with the bluest eyes you've ever seen, and his name is Sirius."

Tears streamed down Harry's face as he smiled. "A puppy... named Sirius, with blue eyes. How did you do all this?" Harry kneeled in front of the fire, reaching out to pet the sleeping puppy. The small puppy blinked owlishly, a yawn escaping from his jaws.

"Severus helped me. I've been raising this hellhound for the past week. He certainly has your Godfather's personality." Harry chuckled at Tom's words, gently playing with Sirius.

"Thank you, Tom. You don't know how much this means to me. In my eyes, you have atoned for all your past sins. You've given me Sirius, in the only way that you can, and I don't believe that you can further atone. Now get over here and play with my new friend!" he grinned as Sirius licked at his face. Tom smiled and knelt down beside Harry and the small black lab.

"Harry, I need to say something. Something important. Things have changed with me, and I am glad for that change. This all started with my vision. I saw the two of us, together, and I realized something. I love you, Harry Potter. I love you with everything in my being, and I don't regret it, can't regret it, not for an instant, and I will do anything I can to protect you, to love you, to be with you for as long as I can. I ask for nothing in return. All that I can say is that I love you." Tom closed his eyes and turned away, very aware of the sudden silence. He was getting prepared to get up and leave, if not for Harry's words.

"Then I guess this is the part where I say that I love you too." Tom's gaze locked onto Harry's. There was only genuine trust, love and sincerity glistening in his eyes. "I mean it. I love you, Tom. That's what I was doing outside for three days, figuring out exactly how I feel and what I want. Now I know, and I couldn't be happier. I want to spend every day with you, I want to live my life with you, and only you." Harry focused his attention on the black puppy, his heart in his eyes.

"I was confused at first, and I didn't know that I was falling for you, but now, without a doubt, I know that I love you with all of my heart, and I will never regret it."

Tom gently removed Sirius from Harry's hands, caressing the teen's face, his fingers tracing Harry's jaw line before closing the gap between them. Running his tongue across the draconian teen's lips, seeking entrance, he explored the younger wizard's mouth thoroughly before raining feather kisses all over Harry's face. Harry's skin was cold to the touch as his hands removed the soaked vest from the boy's body and caressing every subtle curve and his smooth stomach, feeling the rippling muscles beneath the pale beautiful skin.

Harry gasped into Tom's mouth as the older man's left hand played with his nipples, until they stood tall. Trying to gain control of the situation, Harry tore Tom's robes to ribbons, racking his claws across Tom's back, eliciting a startled gasp from the older wizard. He pushed Tom onto his back and kissed his way down his lover's abdomen, while he fumbled to undo Tom's pants, completely aware of the Dark Lord's half hard erection.  
The moment was completely ruined by Sirius as the puppy bit down on the older wizard's hand. Both wizards pumped apart, flushed and breathless, as Tom glared at the puppy. Harry sighed.

"I don't think he likes you," he said, hugging the lab to his chest, smiling at the canine's squirming.

"Really? What was your first clue?" His tone was fairly dripping with sarcasm. Rubbing his bitten hand, he lay back down on the arranged blankets and pillows, draping his arm across his eyes.

Harry curled up beside him. "Aw, you don't have to be mean about it. Don't worry; we'll have some alone time eventually. There's still about a week before I have to go back." His smile was wicked. "And you'll come and visit me at Hogwarts, right? I know secret into the castle, and I have a map, greatly reducing the risk of getting caught. But now," He said, barely biting back a yawn. "I need some sleep; I haven't slept in three days." Saying this, Harry curled up around his small puppy, asleep instantly. Tom smiled at the teen and moved beside him. Their foreheads barely touching, Tom took Harry's hand and held it in his own. In moments, he, too, was asleep.


	3. 3: Angel

THE DRAGON LORD LADY SHINIGAMI DISCLAIMER: THE USUAL

CHAPTER 3: ANGEL

Ad January came to an end, and the seventh years started worrying about their NEWTs, life at Hogwarts settled into a routine. A routine that Harry and his friends ignored. They instead set up their own routine to follow.

When the break had ended, Ginny and Draco had both tackled Harry, badgering him with questions about his Christmas, wheedling as much information as they could, but Harry steadfastly refused to share any of the more... intimate details. Nonetheless, both of them were grinning and laughing like fools as Harry told them the more amusing aspects of his break, like Sirius, and the tickling/wrestling match he had shared with Tom.

When Hermione, Neville and Blaise joined them, Harry took them out to the lake and told them of his vision about his father, which he couldn't rightly explain. He told them of his and Tom's suspicions about Dumbledore, and they seemed just as worried about it as he was, and they took as a sign of immediate war on the horizon, especially since Dumbledore's stunt when they had convened in the Great Hall the morning after returning to the castle.

An entire squad of Aurors had barred the doors, demanding that the Dragon Lord go directly to the Ministry for questioning, with the Aurors as an escort. The Headmaster had been there, his blue eyes twinkling madly. Harry had protested, clutching Sirius to his chest, demanding to know on what grounds he was being brought in for. Draco had also come to his rescue by suggesting he call in his family solicitor, just to make sure that Harry's rights were met. Harry's demands were ignored as the Aurors started to surround him.

Severus had come to his rescue, too, pushing through the growing crowd, demanding to know why a student was being ignored in face of the Ministry. He asked why one of his students was being nearly persecuted, and he also voiced his concerns that Dumbledore seemed to support and approve of this kind of Ministry behavior. Hermione also jumped to his defense, stating that it was prohibited to bring a student into custody without authorization or notice from the student's parents or guardians, and without giving due cause or reason, as the student was a minor. The rest of Harry's friends stood beside him, nearly shielding Harry from the Ministry wizards, almost glowing with silent outrage. Harry was extremely grateful for their support and open loyalty to him.

So when the Aurors backed down and left the school grumbling, Dumbledore had tried to take Sirius away, on the grounds that Hogwarts only sanctioned toads, owls and cats as pets within the school. Harry would have none of it, proclaiming calmly that Ron had been allowed to keep a rat as a pet, and what about Lee Jordan's spider? He also said that the Labrador puppy was a very precious gift, and that there was nowhere the small creature could go, so he was going to remain at Hogwarts with Harry. Now desperate to keep his good-natured and grandfatherly appearance in check, Dumbledore allowed the dog to stay. Reluctantly.

And so, after a bit of excitement, the school fell into routine. The professors started prepping the seventh and fifth years for their respective upcoming exams, assigning more and more homework assignments and essays, quizzing the students more frequently, and just generally putting more and more pressure on the students, which a lot of seventh years were really starting to feel.

However, Harry and his selective group of friends didn't feel this pressure, with the exception of Hermione and Draco, both of whom were known to be obsessed with their grades. The draconian teen found that with his transformation, his mental prowess had improved, giving him a much keener intellect. He now found many of his subjects easier to understand, and his friends seemed to feed off of his new genius. Thus, most of them often had a lot more free time, and they chose to spend it together in the Room of Requirement, oftentimes dueling for fun and improvement. Hermione usually spent the time trying to do research about Harry's vision.

But one night, as February crept by slowly, Harry paced outside of the Room of Requirement, his thoughts completely focused on the happenings of the school, and his lack of knowledge in that respect. He knew that it would be a very good idea on his part if he could only figure out what the rest of the school was doing, and who was loyal to whom, and for whatever reason. He needed to keep an eye on the Professors, as well, and on Dumbledore himself, but he didn't know how. He needed a way to figure out what his vision meant, and what Dumbledore was planning, if he truly was his enemy, and only with knowledge and plans before hand, could he stop the worst from occurring, and he might even be able to save his father.

A door appeared, and he figured that the Room had probably sufficiently provided him with an answer to his problems; or, at least, one of his problems. He hoped that whatever the Room had chosen, it was properly equipped.

The door itself was somewhat of a surprise, made of metal and imposing, completely sealed. There was even a scanner built into the door, reminding Harry fiercely of a retinal scanner he had once seen in a government building in London when he had been younger. Opening the door, Harry found the Room to be very similar to a surveillance room like in all the spy movies Dudley had been obsessed about a few years back. It appeared that the machinery and equipment in the room ran on magic, possibly from the castle's magic itself. This was indeed very useful. With a grin, Harry closed the door and started to set up shop, so to speak.

He was up all night and into the morning as well, but he wasn't worried, as the Room had also provided Time Turners. He grinned as he worked, getting to know all the equipment and how it was supposed to work. And the best was that no one would figure it out! He could place all sorts of bugs and various recording devices anywhere he wanted, even in plain sight, and because just about everyone in the school didn't know about most of this kind of muggle technology, no one would be able to see the devices. Only someone who knew what they were looking for would be able to find the devices.

Monitors were set up against most of the back wall, waiting to receive incoming data from the devices that he was going to plant, and the audio was set up as well, meaning that all he had left to do was plant his little cameras and listening bugs. He assembled the security settings in the door, imputing several magical signatures into the access panel, which would allow the others to come into this Room. He would need to add their retinal scans into the computer as well, when he showed them the Room later.

Finally satisfied, Harry left the Room and used one of the Time Turners the Room had provided, turning it a couple of times so that he would go back to just after he had entered the Room earlier. When the spinning stopped, Harry grinned in the darkness and removed the Marauder's Map from within his robes, and he set about planting his bugs, staring with the Great Hall, specifically the five tables with it.

He was in Slytherin common room placing his devices in carefully hidden and discrete spots when he saw Draco leave his room in the Map. He smirked and kept going, enjoying Draco's stunned look as he walked into the Slytherin common room.

"What are you doing in here?" He asked, and Harry grinned from where he was, jumping down from the fireplace mantle where he had installed a small video camera. He also placed an audio recorder on the underside of a nearby coffee table before turning his attention to the bewildered and slightly irritated blonde.

"Also, just how did you get in here, and where did you know where my common room was?"

Harry held up the Map with a wicked smirk, very much reminiscent of the Malfoy's trademark smirk. "The Marauder's Map. And I'm currently setting up some surveillance. Wanna help?"

"Surveillance? Why would you need surveillance? Why in here? And you didn't answer my questions!"

"I'm going to spy on the whole school, and I think I need to know what's going on everywhere, so as to best avoid any disasters." He quickly looked at the Map, examining it. "But we can discuss this later, as Parkinson and a few second year girls are heading this way."

"I'll see you in the Great Hall, then."

"Alright. And say 'hi' to Sev for me!" He winked at his Slytherin friend and was gone in a second. Draco stood there, blushing furiously. "Damn you, Potter." He sighed and left his common room, heading down to the Potions Master's private rooms.

Harry met up with Ginny in the Great Hall after using the Time Turner to catch up on a few hours of lost sleep. The youngest Weasley saw him and waved, keeping a tight grip on Sirius while trying to feed him bacon from off the table. She giggled as the puppy nibbled on her fingers.

"Having fun, Gin?"

She looked up from the squirming ball of fur in her arms and smiled as he sat down beside her. She relinquished her hold on the dog when Harry scooped the excitable dog onto his lap. "Yeah, he is SO cute! I found him trying to climb up onto my bed this morning when I woke up. Why wasn't he in your dorm?"

"Because I've been busy all night. I have to show you and the others later but trust me, you'll like this. Draco already knows about it, sort of. But I was setting something up to give us a really great advantage." He said with a grin, laughing lightly at Ginny's confounded look as she tried to decipher his words.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't worry about it. You, and the others, will find out later when I explain everything. And thank you for taking care of Sirius for me; he really likes you. He hasn't made any messes anywhere, has he? And did you take out for a walk earlier?" Ginny giggled, reaching out to scratch behind the Labrador's ears.

"It's no problem, Harry. Yes, I took him, and no, he's been very well behaved, and he is adorable. I had to bribe him in order to get him to behave, though."

They shared grins. "That's so much like Padfoot. And he doesn't like Tom at all." Ginny gave a speculative look.

"So how far have you two gotten, anyway?"

Harry choked on the pumpkin juice he was drinking, a bright red blush reddening his face. "Ginny! That's none of your business!" She just smirked at him.

"He hasn't gotten into your pants yet, has he?"

Harry couldn't quite meet her gaze, and she noticed right away. "Not yet, but it was close..."

"KYAA! That's fantastic! I am so happy for you!"

Harry could only stare at her, completely bewildered. "Why? Why is my potential sex life so important all of a sudden?"

She swatted at him, grinning like a loon. "Harry, you deserve to be happy, and, no offense, but I think that getting laid will do a world of wonders for you, and for Tom. Now don't be so shy, and stop blushing, this is a perfectly normal conversation to be having," She said, nearly laughing at his embarrassed expression and bright red face. "Tom is probably a very good lover, and you're probably a natural too, so I don't see why you're getting so nervous and all that rot. You're in love with him, right?"

Harry nodded. "Yes."

"Then you're halfway there. All you two need is some time alone." Ginny said.

"Then keep a hold of Sirius more often. He completely ruined the mood last time at Christmas. Bit down on Tom's hand just as things were getting really good." He said with a snicker, and Ginny broke into giggles.

When she recovered, she looked at him shrewdly. "So when are you going to go and see him?"

"Soon, I think. Within the next few days, though."

"Really?" She grinned. "And do you have any plans for when you see him?"

Harry did not miss the innuendo. He gave her a coy smile. "Maybe."

"Oh, hey, Charlie finally wrote back, and he's got some news for you, and he said to let you know that he'll be coming down to visit in a few days, so he'll let you know then."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, and he seemed really excited too, in his letter, and he's going to bring down one of the new baby dragons that he's been taking care of. I think it's a Hungarian Horntail, too. He said the mother died while laying the eggs, so the baby's an orphan." She said, giving Sirius another piece of bacon.

"That's too bad about the dragon, but the rest of its great news! I'm really curious now about Charlie's opinion. And I hope he figures out what I am capable of, being the Dragon Lord and all. I still have no idea." He said, nibbling on some toast.

"I wonder what you can do? It should be, at the least, an interesting experiment." Hermione said, coming up directly behind Harry and leaning forward to rest against the back of his wings, looking over his shoulder.

"Hermione, what are you doing?"

"Trying to be annoying. Is it working?"

"Actually, yes. You're very annoying. Can you get off my wings now?"

Snickering, Hermione moved to sit beside Ginny, reaching over the younger witch to scratch behind Sirius' ears. "So Charlie's coming down from Romania soon?"

"Yup. And we were just discussing Harry's sex life. Or rather, his soon-to-happen sex life." The two girls shared a glance and burst into girlish giggling as Harry reddened.

"Oh, leave me alone!"

Hermione grinned at his discomfort. "We're just teasing you, Harry."

"Sure."

"You know you love us! Hey, we should go to class before we're late." Ginny said, and the two seventh years nodded. Harry removed a leash from his book bag and attached it to the collar around his dog's furry neck, despite the creature's whimpering protests.

"I'll take him to Potions, Gin. Thanks for looking after him." Leash attached, Harry and Hermione moved away from the Gryffindor table, starting for the dungeons as Draco and Blaise joined them.

"Hey, Ginny! Tell the others to meet us in front of the DA room after class. I have something I want to show them, and you!" Ginny nodded and, gathering her things, headed for Transfiguration.

At Riddle Manor, Tom worked within his library, searching through all of his books and scrolls and texts, looking for anything in regards to Harry's vision, and looking for any hints of resurrection. He had no doubts of the vision's authenticity, but it was the vision itself that made him worry.

While students were told that the dead cannot be brought back to life, and that resurrection and reanimation were impossible, the truth was the resurrection of a dead human being was possible, but it was forbidden, and only the most powerful of wizards could pull it off, often in large groups, and it required a great deal of sacrifice, although no one was sure what that meant. Resurrection of the dead was just the same as alchemy in one respect: the principle of equivalent trade. One cannot gain anything without sacrificing something of equal value.

Because of this, resurrection and reanimation were considered the Darkest of the Dark Arts, and even the Darkest of Dark Lords, himself included, feared this power. But if Dumbledore truly wished to resurrect James Potter, then what would be used as a sacrifice of equal value?

In his youth, Tom had managed to collect a great many number of books, buying and often stealing different manuscripts, even killing for some of the scrolls, and he now had within his possession almost all the text ever written on resurrection and reanimation. The magic within the words and letters he never used; to do so would destroy what little humanity he had left, and would leave him a shell of his former self, a vessel of power with no true will of his own.

But there had been one manuscript he had not been able to attain, and it contained very powerful magic. At the time, his sources had been able to track down a partial trail, informing him that a powerful Light wizard, which had struck him as odd, had removed the manuscript from the black market. Now, he had no doubt that Dumbledore held the manuscript in his possession, meaning there was a very large possibility that the old wizard would use the Darkest of Dark magic, magic equivalent to alchemy and its principles, to resurrect a man sixteen years dead very soon. Harry's vision confirmed that the awful deed would be done, but when? Tom had no idea.

This was going to break Harry's heart, to fight against his own father.

"You won't be alone, Harry. I'll be right beside you until the very end." He said quietly, his words echoing slightly throughout the large library. But, what else could he do?

Coming to a decision, Tom left the library, quickly changing into a black kimono with crimson sash, throwing on a sleeveless trench coat the color of blood before Flooing to Malfoy Manor.

"Lucius!" his voice rang out harshly through the impressive Manor, and after a few minutes, the blonde Deatheater was bowing in front of him, mumbling praise.

"Get up, Lucius. I need your Mark." The Malfoy Patriarch paled, but nodded and offered his arm without saying a word of protest. Lightly touching his wand to the burnt-black Mark, he whispered "Morsmordre." Signaling his Deatheaters of an immediate emergency meeting.

Several moments later, Deatheaters were Flooing into the Malfoy Manor, bowing and kissing the hem of his kimono. When his followers stood still, assembled before him, Tom smiled wickedly.

"Welcome, my Deatheaters. I must thank you all for being so prompt, and I realize that this was not the most convenient time for a meeting, but something has come up. But first: how many of you are tired of the useless killing and torture? There is no need to fear for your honesty. I will not punish those who are honest with me." Slowly, several hands were in the air. Almost all of his Deatheaters were tired of the bloodshed.

"Good. It shall stop, then. I have no need for blood-thirsty fools, and neither does the Dragon Lord." A few murmurs were heard at the mention of Harry's title. "Severus, come forward."

Hesitantly, the Potions Master stepped forward from the crowd and bowed. Tom shook his head slowly.

"No, Severus. You need not bow to me. Your loyalty is to the Dragon Lord, not me, am I right?"

"Yes."

"Then we have the same goal in mind, for I choose to follow the Dragon Lord as well." Tom shifted his gaze to the other silent Deatheaters. "How many of you know the meaning of the Balance, the everlasting Spirals?"

Antonin stepped forward. "My Lord, The Balance signifies Light and Dark, and the existence of the world and magic. Without the Balance, all is lost to chaos."

"Precisely. My goal has changed, although I still wish for change in the wizarding world. No longer is our quest about Blood. No, our goal is the restoration of the Balance between Light and Dark."

Rodolphus spoke next. "My Lord, what are you saying?"

Tom grinned. "As I am the Flight of Death, and you are my wings, we shall aid the dragon Lord in bringing about the death of Albus Dumbledore, the Lord of Darkness." He waited a moment to let his followers whisper to one another. "Let me explain my reasoning. A Dark wizard, or Dark Lord, by definition, is comfortable in using every aspect of magic, Light AND Dark. Dark wizards are more gray than anything. Dumbledore, as the Lord of Darkness, fights for the Light, but soon, he will become a vessel of destructive power. I'm not evil; I'm just Dark. The Lord of Darkness, the Lord of Deception, Lord of Manipulation, Lord of Secrets, lies and riddles, such as Dumbledore, is set on destroying and eradicating the opposing side of magic. In this case, Dumbledore is trying to destroy every Dark, something that will destroy the world, for the Light cannot exist without the Dark, and the Dark is created from the shadows of Light. The Dark and Light shall always be in conflict, that's the way of the world, and the Balance between the two. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

The Deatheaters were silent as they contemplated his words, and he knew that he had already won several of them over with his speech. He and Harry needed people to fight for them, for their cause, and the Deatheaters were a good start to achieving that end.

Rabastan stepped forward. "My Lord, if what you're saying is true, then how can we fight against it?"

"Follow the Dragon Lord and myself. It is far too early in this war to truly know how to fight our opponent, but Power has a way of making everything happen. I take it that you still wish to follow me?"

The assembled wizards and witches glanced amongst themselves before Lucius came forward and bowed. "I believe that I speak for everyone when I say that we shall follow you still. If I may ask, why the sudden change?"

And so Tom told the Deatheaters about his vision and his place within it. He did not go into detail. He mentioned Severus' prophecy, not revealing that Severus spoke the blasted thing, of course, and he mentioned the Dragon Lord's transformation as well. "As the Black Basilisk, I am destined to fight beside the Dragon Lord. His identity was certainly a surprise, mainly because I was not expecting it, but really, it isn't so surprising."

"My Lord, who exactly is the Dragon Lord?"

"Harry James Potter, the Boy Who Lived."

The assembled Deatheaters gasped and started muttering amongst themselves. Tom started laughing.

"It's mind blowing, isn't it? But I speak only truth. I approached the boy in my dreams, through the connection we share through his scar, and now we are more than allies, closer than friends, and he is truly powerful. He is the one we must follow and fight for in order to achieve the Balance."

"But isn't Potter Dumbledore's weapon?"

"No, he's not," Severus cut in, silencing the room. "Potter wishes for the Balance, and he is more than willing to fight for it. He wants Dumbledore gone from his life and gone from the world because soon, that old man will go way too far."

"What does that mean, Snape?"

"He means that soon, very soon, that meddling old fool will do the unimaginable; he will resurrect the Dragon Lord's father, James Potter."

"That's impossible, My Lord!" Lucius cried, aghast. Tom shook his head.

"No, it's not. Resurrection is just forbidden, just like true alchemy, and even the Darkest of Dark Lords, myself included, fear to even know this magic, let alone use it."

"And because of his son's transformation, Dumbledore will use James Potter's still reeling mind, and his misguided notions of good and evil to his advantage, pitting father and son against each other. James Potter will follow the only thing he will recognize, and will try to destroy the Dragon Lord." Severus finished. The Deatheaters remained silent, glancing at one another.

"Many of you are confused, and don't know what to think about the current situation. Well, let me tell you something. Harry Potter is turning to the Dark, becoming one with the Balance, recreating the Balance within himself and own magic. His power consists of many shades of gray, and he will need a lot of help. Many of you despise Dumbledore. He meddles and interferes in matters that do not concern him, and he takes a delight in playing God. He lies, misguides, redirects, and twists his way into the lives of others, making them his pawns, destroying countless lives. He is reminiscent to the muggle leader known as Hitler, from World War II. If Dumbledore has his way in destroying the Dark half of magic, and the world, or more, will die within the next five years, and the world will perish." Tom immediately knew that his Deatheaters would continue to follow him, and Harry. After only a few moments, every Deatheater dropped to one knee, bowing to him and pledging their allegiance to the Dragon Lord, and to Tom, their Dark Lord.

"I need to go back to the castle, Lord. My Lord will be waiting for me and my report." Severus said quietly, and Tom nodded, smiling.

"Very well. Go, Severus, and please, give him my regards." The Potions Master nodded and left Malfoy Manor by means of the fire.

"All of you are dismissed. Start preparing for war, and fortify your family Manors. Those without family Manors, I want you to hold up in the closest Manor available. I want these locations to be sanctuaries for our allies." Bowing, the Deatheaters left, leaving Lucius and Tom alone.

"Good day, Lucius." Then Tom left as well.

Back at the castle, Harry gathered his friends after dinner, leading them to the Room of Requirement, bypassing all of the security measures. He grinned as he opened the door, hearing Hermione's gasp of excitement. The others, Draco especially, just stood in the doorway confused. Glancing around, Harry ushered them inside, closing the door behind them and temporarily sealing them in.

"Please don't touch anything until I've explained everything. This machinery is quite delicate and although it runs on magic from the castle itself, any electro-static shock could melt the whole server, so please be careful." He said grinning at the confused looks the Slytherins sported.

"What is all this stuff?" Lucas asked, staring at the monitors that displayed a variety of different locations in the castle. "Hey! That's our common room!"

Harry smirked as he sat down in the only chair, silently asking for the Room to provide more chairs for the others. He checked different read-outs and made some adjustments to some of the settings. "Uh huh. Don't trip over any of the coolant lines and please have a seat. I've been setting up all sorts of surveillance equipment throughout the school because I've decided that I need to know what is going on in this school. I need to know about any suspicious activity, and I need to know what others are thinking and doing. This way, I'll be able to thwart any attempts of sabotage or injury from the student body, I'll be able to counter any riots, and I'll know what the Professors are doing. This way, I'll also be able to keep an eye on Dumbledore, especially with what happened in my vision. I haven't been able to bug his office yet, but that shouldn't be too much of a problem to do.

"Now, I haven't put up any surveillance in the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw common rooms, mainly because I don't think that they are a threat, and they don't have any key players, either. I want to know about everything that goes on in the school and this is the best way, I believe, for me to achieve that. I do not trust Dumbledore anymore, obviously, so I want to know everything he does and says. I want to know who his allies are within the school, and I want to be able to counter any plans he has for me. I will not be able to stop my father's resurrection, but I will try to be there when it happens, so that maybe I can get him out of Dumbledore's grasp before it's too late. The castle herself is helping me, but I need more help, especially with monitoring everything and processing the important information. Can you guys help me out?"

"I'll do it." Hermione and Ginny said simultaneously. Neville nodded after a moment, offering his time to go through everything while glancing at the machinery around him.

Draco nodded, but he looked skeptical at the muggle technology. "Yeah, sure." Blaise and Lucas shrugged.

"Good." Harry removed some CDs from the recorder and replaced them with new ones, moving to another monitor as he did so. "It might take a little bit of time before we find something of any use, and I know that surveillance is a boring, tedious job, so thank you, and just be patient. I'll help you all get adjust to this technology whenever I'm in here, and the Room will do everything on its own, basically, but we still need to monitor it. That's where we come in. Do you guys get that?" the others nodded, and Hermione looked positively giddy at the notion of working with so much advanced machinery.

"Good. Thank you. How about you take the first shift, 'Mione? You too, Gin, and after six hours, use the Time Turners in the corner. That way, we'll still be able to do our schoolwork and things like that and sleep. I have special communicators here as well, so that we'll be able to contact each other within the castle and it's grounds. We'll use these communicators to change shifts as well. The rest of you can do what you like until your shift; just remember to use the Time Turners accordingly. I am going to bed." The Slytherins chuckled and snickered, drawing an empty glare from the Dragon Lord. The girls and Neville just smiled.

"Sure thing, Harry. Go and get some rest." Hermione said with a smile.

"Yes, mother."

"Go!"

Snickering, Harry left the Room of Requirement with the Slytherins and Neville following him out. Draco came up beside him and nudged him with his elbow, and Harry just looked at his blonde friend.

"What?"

The Slytherin smirked playfully. "So... how good is he in bed?" The smirk grew as Harry blushed.

"Draco! What the hell kind of question is that? How the hell would I know?" His Slytherin companions laughed outright and Neville valiantly tried holding in his mirth.

"You can't fool me, Harry Potter! You have done something with him, I know you have, and it must have been during Christmas break, so spill it!" Draco said vehemently, poking at Harry's chest. "I just wanna know how far you've gotten, is all. By the way, the blush is cute and all, but it totally gives you away, and you're not fooling anyone with it. Now just answer my one little question, please."

Harry's blush darkened considerably, and he looked away, his long ears twitching slightly. "Merlin, first Ginny and Hermione, and now you. Fine. At Christmas, I think that we could have gone all the way."

"But..."

"But Sirius got in the way. Bit Tom. Doesn't like him at all." He smiled, embarrassed as Draco was hit the hardest with mirth, doubled over as he held his aching ribs from laughing so hard. Blaise had to lean against the wall for support, and Lucas was on the floor, tears streaming from his eyes. Neville lost his battle in trying to contain his amusement, his hands on his knees as he laughed.

"Guys, its not that funny..."

"Actually, Harry, it is! Your dog bit Tom as you two were just getting to the good stuff!" Draco managed to regain his composure long enough to say this.

Rolling his eyes, Harry started to walk away, ignoring his friends as they tried to compose themselves long enough to catch up to him while still laughing. Draco caught him first, breathless from laughter.

"Harry, mate, lighten up! It is kinda funny and I was just teasing you. So when are you to go and see him again?" The blonde asked and Harry shoved him lightly, grinning.

"Soon, I think. Sirius needs to be taken care of while I go, so Ginny will probably help. But we are also planning a war here, and so is Tom, so I'm not sure when we'll have time for personal matters. Everything else seems more important." Harry shrugged, his tail of bone swaying slightly with his movement.

"True. How are you going to get away from the castle? And what about Dumbledore? He'll surely object."

"I'll probably just take off and fly there, and I couldn't give a flying fuck about what Dumbledore thinks."

The group stopped at the junction leading down to the dungeons and the Gryffindor tower. Draco looked at his friend, completely serious.

"Go soon. Time is running out, for us all." Harry felt a small surge of power from his friend's words, and the others shivered a bit. He glanced at the Slytherin.

"I'll go tonight, then. Be careful, my friend. Power is strong tonight." Then the two of them went their separate ways, their respective Housemates following behind in silence.

After a few hours sleep and the use of the Time Turner he had from the Room of Requirement, Harry left the castle while the night was still young, through one of the windows in the tower, his wings opening and filling with air as he glided through the cloudless night in the light of the not-quite-full moon. He smiled as the castle vanished quickly behind him, the wind blowing through his hair.

He carried very little with him, only an extra set of clothes as he planned on staying the night, and perhaps a little longer. His ring hung from its place at his neck, the tiny jewels glinting in the soft light of the moon above him, and he smiled at the symbolism the twinning dragons represented.

Harry soared high in the silent midnight sky, unaffected by the chilly air, heading for Riddle Manor. He wondered what his Dark Lord had been doing lately, and he was curious as to what Tom had found in regards to his vision, now just over a month old, and he wondered whether Dumbledore was really stupid enough to try and resurrect his father, James Potter.

His gloomy thoughts faded as he caught sight of the Manor in the distance, and with a burst of extra speed, Harry sped to the Manor, cutting through the silent air like a knife through hot butter.

High above the Manor, Harry spiraled down, gliding lower and lower with each pass. He opened the telepathic connection his scar provided, seeking the familiar feel of Tom's power.

/Hey Tom! Are you busy//

/Harry! Where are you//

Harry chuckled. /I'm outside, coming in for a landing, love. /

/I'll meet you on the balcony, ok//

/Of course// It was then that Harry felt two other magical signatures in the Manor. /I take it that you have company// He asked.

/It's nothing to worry about; in fact, its good you came, but I'll explain when I see you. /

/Ok. /

He landed lightly on the balcony, his wings folding closed just as the double doors opened, revealing Tom standing there, a gentle smile on his pale face, his crimson eyes glinting warmly. Harry grinned and hugged the Dark Lord, wrapping his arms and tail around the firm body against his own. Tom just chuckled and held Harry to him.

"Did you miss me?"

"What do you think, prat!"

Tom laughed outright. "Okay, okay! You might as well meet some of your new allies." He noticed the small bag that Harry carried at his side, and he raised an eyebrow, smirking. "I take it this is an extended visit?"

Harry shrugged, smiling coyly. "Maybe. What's this about new allies?"

"Well, I've managed to get the Deatheaters to follow you in your fight, and I've been trying to approach the werewolves. But that's difficult because they've been betrayed and victimized so often in our society. My guests are waiting in the first floor study, so let's go to my room and get you out of those school robes. I may have something for you that will really impress our guests downstairs." Tom said, leading Harry from the library and down the corridor to Tom's room. "I'm thinking of something with a Japanese look to it."

Harry just gave him a look. "You're crazy about the Japanese culture. And is it really so important to be concerned about appearance?"

"Of course! Until the goal is actually met and all parties involved are satisfied, appearance is key when you need to look strong and able." Tom ushered Harry into his room, pulling the younger wizard over to the walk-in closet.

He disappeared into the small room, tossing clothes onto the floor as he considered and discarded them in the same instant. Harry stayed by the bed, staring at him, amazed at his love's rather vain behavior.

"Ok, love. Strip for me."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Out of those wretched school clothes. I've found the perfect outfit for you. It allows free upper body movement, as well as allowing for speed, and it shows off your draconian scales, it goes with your coloring, and it'll look truly impressive." Tom came out of the closet (A/N: hehehehe...!) and he grinned as he caught sight of Harry in just his red boxers.

"Unfortunately, those are going to have to go too. Figured you as a boxers kind of guy." Harry blushed lightly but he refused to remove his boxers. Tom crossed the room with the garments he had chosen and he passionately kissed the teen, capturing his lips in a soul-satisfying kiss that dazed Harry. Without pulling away, he removed the draconian teen's boxers and slid the Japanese hakama over the teen's legs, tying it securely at the waist. He then grabbed a black linen wrap and secured it over the trousers. Using one hand to hold the base of Harry's neck, moving to latch onto the draconian's neck, he attached flexible dragon scale armor, the free-flowing armor allowing for free movement and unifying the look. He added a dark green gauntlet, slipping it onto Harry's wrist before kissing the other wizard one last time.

Chuckling, Tom pulled Harry from his room and he lightly tugged on his ear, bringing him from his daze. Harry blinked and stared at his unfamiliar clothes, but secretly, he really liked them

"What the hell am I wearing?"

"I saw a uniform similar to this before, and the person wearing it was born of nobility, but I thought it was appropriate for you because the Japanese worship and give praise to the protectors of their lands, the dragons. Dragons were often thought of as vessels for the gods." He said, strapping two katanas to Harry's back, snugly beneath his wings.

"So, what? I'm some kind of god?"

"No, it looks bloody amazing, and you look like you were born to rule in the name of justice."

"You cheated."

"Yes, I did. But I got what I wanted, didn't I?" Tom said with a pleasantly smug smirk quirking his lips. He pulled on Harry's arm. "Come on. I have Lucius downstairs waiting with a representative from the Lycan community. I figure that we can more or less give them what they want, with regards to equal rights and the such. Other demands that they may have will have to be dealt with accordingly. Also, they don't have to fight unless they wish to, because their support is only going to be a rallying point for the other magical communities. We can give them the choice, and individuals can choose for themselves."

Harry nodded. "That could work, actually. Anyway, I wanted to ask you; what have you found about me dad's resurrection? I know that it hasn't happened yet, but I need to be prepared." The atmosphere darkened and Tom scowled.

"Yes, you do. I'll tell you what I know later. For the time being, our guests await."

The Dark Lord took Harry down to the study and opened the door, holding it open for the Dragon Lord. The draconian teen glanced at Lucius a little coldly, but he stopped in his tracks as the Lycan delegate stood up, his emerald reptilian eyes widening slightly.

"Harry? Harry, what are you doing here? What happened to you?"

Harry regained his composure and he nodded acknowledgement to the werewolf standing before him. "Remus, it truly is a pleasure to meet with you like this under these current circumstances. Please, sit down, and we'll get down to business." When Remus made no move to sit down, confusion written clearly on his face, Harry frowned. "Remus. I am the Dragon Lord, seeking Balance. I can and will explain everything that has happened to you once our business has been concluded. Please, sit down."

The werewolf nodded, brought out of his surprised stupor, and he complied, taking a seat by the fire. Harry smiled and sat down across from his old professor. Tom moved to stand at his shoulder, and Lucius remained at his place at the door. Harry started the negotiations.

"Thank you. Now Remus, I don't want your judgment clouded by who I am. My goals are different from those of Dumbledore's precious Golden Boy. I am no longer that boy."

"Then what are your goals, and why does it include Lycan support?"

"I seek to restore the Balance between the Light and Dark. The Light cannot exist without the Dark, and the Darkness is born from the Light. As a never-ending cycle, there will always be conflict, but the separation of this continuous cycle just brings discord and chaos. Surely you must understand something of this." He sensed Tom's approval at his words.

Remus nodded, eyes sparkling. "True, but why would you need the Lycan communities? Also, the werewolves have been oppressed and betrayed so often in such alliances and campaigns. Why should this time be different?"

Harry smiled, leaning back into his seat, his mind racing a hundred miles a second. "I am different because I know both sides here. I m supposedly the symbol of Light, but I have been betrayed often myself. I am here to save the world and be tossed aside once my job is done. At least, that was before my transformation. Lycan support just might give us the edge we need to rally other 'Dark' communities to our, to my cause. The Lycans wish for equal rights as humans, am I correct?"

Remus nodded. "Yes. The majority of us wish for equal rights because most of time, we are human. With the Wolfsbane Potion in circulation, we won't even be dangerous as the wolf. Most of us wish for the right to have and hold jobs, the right to walk among the streets without shame, the right to even have families, should we choose it. However, there are those among us that have succumbed to the bloodlust of the raging wolf within."

"All I want from you is your support. You don't even have to fight, if that's what the majority wishes. Those of you that would prefer to stay away from the battlefield can do so. The Dark Lord and I have decided to leave that choice up to the individual, although, there may be one or two battles where I will require every Lycan to fight."

Remus nodded, contemplating his words. "Yes, that may be acceptable. Can you guarantee that our demands are going to be met?"

Harry shrugged. "At this point in time, realistically, no. It's too early, even for miracles. This war will take some time, obviously, and I am only in the midst of planning it. Ask me that question later in the war, and I may be able to give you an answer. It was far too early to ask me that. For now, just consider our offer. I do not expect you to give me an answer right away; you may take my offer to the other Lycan communities, and take all the time you need." Harry sighed and he looked back at Tom. "So, did I miss anything important?"

Tom smiled down at him, eyes glinting with pride and approval. "No, you handled everything perfectly with ease. Well done, and I was right; you are born to rule. Mr. Lupin, thank you for joining us, and listening to our offer. Now that our business has been concluded, at least for the time being, would you care to convene in a more friendly and less formal environment?"

"Um, sure."

"Then follow me. Lucius, you may go now." Stiffly, the Deatheater left through the Floo, and Harry relaxed, standing to pull Remus out of his chair and into a hug.

"It's so good to see you, Remy, it truly is."

"My sentiments exactly, Harry. I must say, this is quite a surprise. What happened?"

"I'll tell you everything once we're comfortable. Follow us." Tom led the way to the library, with Harry and Remus trailing behind him, speaking softly.

"So Remus, what have you been doing? Where have you been?"

"I've been searching out all the major Lycan packs, originally on Albus' request, but then word came to me that there was someone else, someone both Light and Dark, and because of my rank among the wolves, they sent me here to check it out. I've been all over Europe, and even into Russia."

"Good for you, Remy, but what's this about rank?"

"Well, among the wolves, I am one of the most powerful battle commanders in the world, and my official title is Battle Prince. I'd be the leader of my own major pack if I wasn't so focused on werewolf rights." Harry grinned at Remus' words.

"I think that would be really good for you, Moony, and I understand why you chose to do what you do. I guess you're word means a lot, then."

"I do hold a fair bit of influence, but I don't like to abuse that power, and I find that I don't even use my influence much."

"Of course."

The small talk stilled as they settled into the library, comfortable around the fire. Intrigued, Remus watched as Tom pulled Harry to him, amused as Harry's tail wrapped itself around the older wizard. He picked up on their scent, and he had wonder, were the two of them mates? He smiled, Harry could use some true happiness, and it seemed that the Dark Lord truly cared very deeply about his cub. Yes, Remus considered Harry as the cub of his very small pack, and the wolf was pleased that his pack was growing again.

Harry smiled. "So I guess you've been away for the past couple of months, huh?"

Remus nodded. "Yes. Since the summer."

"Well, this all started in October, so I'll just start there." Harry retold everything that had happened in the last couple of months, relating his transformation, and Severus' prophecy. He included Tom's vision that brought around his 'change of heart'. Tom gave his input, detailing the differences between his Dark Lord title and the true meaning of the 'Lord of Darkness' from Severus' prophecy. Harry related how he had fallen in love with the Dark Lord, and their experience at Christmas. However, both Harry and Tom fell silent as the darker aspects of their Christmas came to mind.

"I had my own vision recently. I believe it was a prediction. No, I know that it was a prediction. Dumbledore will use the Darkest of the Dark Arts, magic that is pure evil and corrupt, to resurrect my father."

Remus was struck speechless. James Potter, back from the dead? It was inconceivable, impossible, and it went against everything that he had ever known was sacred. He stared at both of them, taking in Harry's stricken face, and the Dark Lord's troubled eyes, and he knew it was true. His cub was absolutely terrified, and he felt the same.

"But... resurrection is impossible, right? It can't be done. The dead are dead; they can't come back! The dead stay dead!"

"I would like to believe that too, Moony, but... I've Seen it. It's going to happen. He attacked me, proclaiming me to a demon that killed his son, and I've seen the coming war at its most destructive." Harry said, his voice soft with fear and sorrow. "He'll try to destroy me."

"No, James would never do that. He wouldn't," Remus started to say, but Harry cut him off quickly.

"My father WILL try to kill me! I know this! Dumbledore will be there when he's brought back, the only familiar presence, and the only one who knows even the least of what's going on. None of my friends will be able to help, because he won't know them, and with his misunderstandings with the concepts of Light, he will believe Dumbledore, who'll give him the only explanation he'll be able to accept." Bloody tears welled up his brilliantly green eyes and spilled over, leaving bloody trails down his pale face. "I've Seen it, Moony. And I don't know how to stop it." He withdrew into himself, his wings drooping as he buried his face into Tom's shoulder, clutching his robes.

The Dark Lord cast concerned eyes to his beloved, holding him close as he attempted to comfort and calm the draconian teen in his arms, hissing quietly in Parseltongue.

Remus watched as this unfolded, and he saw that this upcoming disaster was breaking Harry's heart. He watched with confused shock and awed amazement, for never had he seen Harry break down like this. His heart ached for his pack's only cub, and the wolf inside raged at the sight of the closest thing Remus considered a son.

"If James tries to hurt you, I'll get through to him. He always listened to me, first and foremost after Lily." He said quietly, and Harry's lips quirked upwards, slowing the tears of blood.

Tom gave him a smirk. He stood, carrying Harry in his arms, and he paused to look at werewolf with clouded eyes. "I believe it may be time for you to leave now. It was a pleasure meeting you. Good night." The Tom was gone from the library.

"Take care of him, Riddle, and if you such much as hurt him in the slightest, I'll gladly let the wolf tear out your throat." With those few words whispered in the near empty library, Remus left the library, and the Manor altogether.

In Tom's rooms, the Dark Lord stripped the draconian of his clothes and proceeded to clean away the blood, hissing softly to Harry, the soft, sibilant sounds soothing Harry's tormented mind, and showing a tenderness that he had never shown anyone.

"I love you, Harry," He said, switching to English. "I love you so much. I'll always be there to protect you."

"Don't make promises you're not sure you can keep." He whispered, nearly silent and startling Tom.

"What do you mean?"

"You can't be with me all the time, love. That's not possible. I finish school in a couple of months, and you, as my general commander of war, you have a war to plan and run. We won't be together forever, at every single moment." Harry clung to Tom, his wings drooping in despair.

"But I'll always be there for you." Tom traced Harry's scar with his finger. "I will never leave you alone, and you always hear me, in your mind. You will never be alone. If it all becomes too much for you, then you can always retreat into my mind, as well." Tom eased Harry onto the bed, cleaning away the last of the blood, pressing gentle kisses along Harry's collarbone, his fingers tracing their way up and down Harry's shoulders.

He kissed Harry fully and passionately, bringing their bodies close before trailing kisses down Harry's toned abdomen, nibbling at the smooth skin, enjoying the movements as Harry squirmed. The draconian teen grasped for the blankets, arching into his lover's tongue, moaning and writhing under Tom's talented touch. He gasped for breath, finding it immensely difficult to bring air into his lungs.

Tom removed his clothes as he worked on Harry's eager body, rubbing up against Harry's own hardness, preparing his young lover thoroughly, using first his tongue before he summoned a small vial, filled with a clear, slippery fluid, to him. Once both he and Harry were prepared, he positioned himself and acted, entering the warm body beneath him.

Both wizards froze in bliss before Tom moved forward carefully, slowly filling Harry to the hilt. He picked up speed at an agonizing rate, gently as they grew comfortable with the powerfully intense sensations and with each other.

Harry's mind could not form a single coherent thought, and when Tom changed his angle slightly, Harry's world exploded. He wrapped his legs around Tom's waist, bringing their bodies even closer together. Tom brought his hand between them, dealing with Harry's hardness.

Their pace picked up, and Tom began to pound into his younger, smaller lover, eliciting keening moans of pleasure from the draconian. As Harry started to climax, he raked his talons across Tom's back, breaking through the skin and drawing blood, bringing Tom over the edge. He howled in pain and animalistic delight as white wings grew out from the broken gashes caused with Harry's claws. This brought Harry to his own climax, and he cried out as well. White feathers were coated with fresh blood and new muscles flexed and shuddered as Tom pulled out and collapsed beside Harry.

Both wizards were breathing heavily, taking their time to recover, and after a while, Harry curled up against the Dark Lord, snuggling into his arms. Both were flushed and glistening with a light sweat. Slowly, Harry reached up and behind tom, gently tugging on the red-splattered white wings.

"This was an interesting turn of events... never figured you for an angel." Harry said with a wicked grin. "Especially after that performance, which was bloody amazing. And thank you."

Tom returned his grin. "Neither of us can be considered an angel, love," He nuzzled into Harry's neck, tightening his hold on the other wizard.aHarry'sHarHaHhhknsknsha And damn straight that was amazing; I'm just that good!" Harry smacked him upside the head.

"You bastard! What about me, huh? Was I any good? I'd like to know, as I have no prior experience to compare with." Harry mock-glowered at him, no real heat in the fierce look. Tom just chuckled at his lover's behavior.

"You performed exceedingly well; a natural. But I think it may be time for some sleep now. And you're going to be a bit sore in the morning."

Harry nodded, a tender smile on his lips. "All right. Good night, Tom. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Within moments, the two lovers had drifted off into a peaceful slumber, their bodies intertwined together. 


End file.
